Song Lam Ngha An (SLNA) took a slight advantage in the first leg semi-finals of the Vietnam National Cup when they beat Thanh Hoa 3-2 at the Thanh Hoa Stadium.
Three-time champions SLNA have been on a good run prior to the clash with eight wins in a row in the top flight.
But when Thanh Hoa crashed in the lead after just 13 minutes off a Pape Omar’s header, there must have been some anxious moments for the visiting side.
However, SLNA took just three minutes to carve out the equaliser when Jeremie Dwayne Lynch fired in from distant.
Michael Olaha then gave SLNA the lead on 22 minutes before a mistake from goalkeeper Phan Dình Vu Hai allowed Rimario Gordon to level the score at 2-2, with eight minutes remaining of the first half.
Thanh Hoa were determined to stayed the score but Lynch had other ideas when he nailed in the 76th minute winner for SLNA.
In the meantime in the other semi-finals, Hanoi drew with Bình Duong 3-3.
The second leg will be played on 5 September 2018.
